Kyo slowly wiped the sweat from her face, the warm, steam-scented towel gliding over her skin with a comforting sensation. There was a faint fragrance mixed in—most likely from Uika.
She had already noticed a light, fresh scent lingering around her while walking behind her earlier. It was probably some kind of perfume.
For reference, Mana smelled distinctly like sweet, sugary donuts.
After drying her face, Kyo instinctively reached for the hem of her shirt to wipe the sweat from her body. But just as she lifted it halfway, she suddenly hesitated and looked up at Uika.
"Something wrong?" Uika noticed her pause and asked, her tone warm and welcoming as ever. She even crouched slightly so their eyes were level. "Is it hard to reach certain areas? If you don't mind, I can help."
Kyo blinked, then explained honestly, "I was just wondering if it's okay to use your towel when I'm this sweaty."
She was well aware of how much she sweated. Sure, there were some weirdos in the world who actually liked the smell of sweat, but Uika didn't seem like the type.
But instead of being bothered, Uika simply took the towel from Kyo's hands and started wiping down her exposed arms.
"You don't smell sweaty at all," she assured her. "Your sweat is more like clean water, so it's totally fine."
As if to prove her point, Uika was incredibly thorough.
The pale, delicate skin of Kyo's arms—cool and soft, almost feather-light—reacted subtly to Uika's gentle touch. A faint, refreshing sensation spread across her skin as the towel moved.
Even her palms, the backs of her hands, and the spaces between her fingers were carefully wiped. When Uika's fingers brushed against Kyo's fingertips, she deliberately let them linger for a brief moment.
"Your calluses have softened a bit, but I can still feel them."
Uika masked her intentions behind casual conversation, subtly steering the topic where she wanted it to go. The moment she noticed the hardened spots on Kyo's fingertips—marks left by pressing down on guitar strings—she seized the opportunity to probe further.
"You must've played guitar before, right?"
Kyo saw no reason to hide it and casually let Uika continue wiping her hands as she answered, "Yeah, I used to be in a band. I played rhythm guitar for a while."
Uika was caught off guard by how easily Kyo admitted it. She forced herself to stay calm despite the excitement bubbling inside her.
"A band, huh? That sounds fun. Are you still playing with them now?"
"I guess you could say it was fun."
Kyo paused, memories surfacing—days spent at karaoke together, the lyrics Sakiko had written that seemed to capture their inner voices, her own attempts to understand those words and compose music with Sakiko.
And finally, the stage—standing there as the music pulsed through her body, the vocalist pouring their heart into every word, the sheer energy reflected on everyone's faces.
Even she, someone who often found herself detached from emotion, had been moved by that moment.
"…But the band's disbanded now."
Uika's eyes widened slightly. "It disbanded?"
She remembered the band photo she had seen on SNS—everyone, including Sakiko, had looked so happy. She hadn't expected that they had already broken up.
"Yeah. It's a shame since we were all on good terms, but it's over now."
Kyo's tone was calm, as if she had already come to terms with it.
"You don't seem too upset about it," Uika observed. "So… does that mean you're still in touch with the others?"
She was testing the waters, trying to figure out if Kyo still had any connection to Sakiko. If she didn't, then Uika's hopes of learning about Sakiko's current situation might be for nothing.
Kyo hesitated—a rare sight.
"Hmm…"
A slightly troubled expression crossed her face.
I have kept in contact with them, but the band's breakup acted as a trigger—setting everyone off at once.
Lately, none of them had been in the right state to hold a proper conversation. That was part of why she'd been feeling so drained these past few days.
Noticing Kyo's conflicted expression, Uika hesitated as well.
As much as she wanted to know about Sakiko, Kyo was clearly troubled by the band's situation.
I'll ask next time.
For now, she decided to let it go.
By this point, Kyo's hands were completely dry, though the sweat on other parts of her body remained.
"I can handle the rest myself, Uika-nee."
Kyo reached for the towel again, only to find it wouldn't budge.
"…Wait, why did you suddenly call me nee-san?"
Uika stiffened slightly, gripping the towel a little tighter as a faint blush rose to her cheeks. She managed to keep her expression neutral, but her heart had skipped a beat.
Kyo tilted her head. "Hmm… Well, you're taller than me, and you're really considerate. You give off a very mature vibe."
She had simply voiced her honest thoughts, not expecting such a reaction from Uika.
"Is that… not okay?"
"If that's what you want to call me, Kyo, I'd be more than happy."
Uika had spent enough time in the entertainment industry to master emotional control. Though she had been momentarily caught off guard, she quickly composed herself.
The reason she was so affected by being called nee-san was because, years ago, back when she and Sakiko were still on their hometown island, Sakiko used to call her that.
But as they grew older, no one else ever called Uika nee-san again. Mana always addressed her by name without hesitation, and Sakiko, perhaps finding it awkward as they got older, never used it again either. Even in texts, she would just write Uika.
For a brief moment, memories of the past resurfaced.
"Hold on a sec, I'll rinse the towel again."
Uika turned back to the sink, holding the now-soaked towel. She wrung it out, and to her surprise, a steady stream of water dripped down.
Is this really just sweat?
It was completely colorless, odorless—honestly, it made her wonder if Kyo was secretly made of water or something.
After rinsing the towel with fresh warm water, she turned around—only to freeze at the sight before her.
Kyo had already taken off her shirt.
Her upper body was now covered only by a simple white bra, leaving her smooth, lean stomach, sharply defined waistline, and delicate collarbones completely exposed to Uika's view.
"…Kyo, why did you suddenly take off your shirt?"
Uika snapped her head to the side, instantly averting her gaze.
"Because it's easier to wipe off sweat?"
Kyo glanced at Uika's reaction and quickly realized that she might have been a bit too casual about it.
"Wait, Uika—haven't you ever changed in the locker room during gym class?"
She picked up her drenched shirt, about to put it back on.
"…No, you're right. I was just overreacting a bit."
Uika turned back toward Kyo and gently stopped her from putting the wet shirt back on.
She's different from me.
To Kyo, this was probably just a matter of practicality—girls changing in front of other girls was normal.
She might not even be aware that something like liking other girls was a thing.
Uika forced herself to keep her gaze locked on Kyo's eyes, deliberately avoiding looking anywhere else.
Right now, Kyo's skin still carried a sheen of moisture—just like earlier when her face had been wet.
And just like before, that same inexplicable allure surrounded her.
"Thanks, Uika-nee."
Kyo was about to take the towel from her—
BANG.
The door suddenly swung open.
"Uiiiiika, Kyo! I brought the donuts—let's eat togeth—"
Mana's cheerful voice filled the room.
And then—she froze.
Right in front of her, Kyo sat there in nothing but her bra, while Uika stood close, reaching toward her.
From Mana's angle, the towel was conveniently out of sight.
"—I-I-I'M SORRY FOR INTERRUPTING!"